Here For It: Will Smith In Talks For Genie Role In Disney’s Live-Action ‘Aladdin’ Reboot

It looks like Will Smith might be landing a major role in the upcoming live action reboot of the Disney classic, ‘Aladdin.’

The role of Genie was previously held by the late Robin Williams, but now Will is in talks to step into the role according to reports from Deadline.

The adaptation of the animated feature follows the studio’s strategy of bringing its classic animated titles to life and so far it has been a goldmine, most recently with Beauty and the Beast which has already grossed over $1B worldwide. Smith had previously been in talks with Tim Burton about Dumbo but that did not materialize and we’re told these talks are also early.

Like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin will be a live-action musical and that would fit well with Smith who is not only an actor but was known to the world for his musical prowess as The Fresh Prince rapper before he hit the little or big screen. The production is gearing up for a long, six-month shoot, so that is one consideration. It is supposed to start in the U.K. in July and wrap early next year.

As a huge Aladdin fan, I am so here for this, and looking forward to the reboot.